Tour de Victoria

These guys are pro in showing Daddy support on race day. They have been cheering since they were they were this little:

This race was a little different because it was the first time they not only cheered for Daddy but also had the chance to race themselves. The Tour de Victoria has so many different race categories from 15km to 160km which is awesome so everyone can set a goal. Daddy was ready to tackle the 100km and the kids were excited to do 15km. 

The race started in downtown Victoria and the kids sent Daddy and Uncle Lance off with lots of enthusiasm.

The kids had to wait 3 hours before it was our turn to race. We went to Beacon Hill Park and the time passed quickly since we were with friends and they rode their bikes, played hide and seek and chased peacocks.  

The race was supposed to start at 1:30 pm and when we arrived at the start at 1:15pm we were told they started at 1:00pm and we were hurried off to get going. Despite the frenzied start, we started off and peddled like mad. The 15km route is along the harbour and just breathtakingly beautiful.

Noah peddled so fast he somehow peddled out of his shoe! I made the rookie mistake of attempting to stop and pick up his shoe and the cyclist behind me has to swerve not to hit me. Oops, so sorry.  A race attendant had to run onto the road, grab his shoe and help Noah put it back on and then we were peddling like mad towards the finish line again. 

The kids said their favourite part was getting closer to the finish line and hearing the music blasting. Noah was ahead of Nallie and me and he said he was the only kid when he crossed the finish and loved that the announcer said, “here comes a little dude crossing to the finish!” I’m pretty proud of my little dude. 

The whole crew did great! Simon finished 100km in 4 hours and 10 minutes! Our friends crushed the 140km and 100km as well. The kids finished the 15km in 56 minutes and said they wanted to do 30km next year.

First time that everyone in the family got a medal at the finish line. Everyone was all smiles and we’ll be back next year! 

letter to my 8-year-old son

"Do you want to have a birthday party or go to Whistler for your birthday?"

"WHISTLER!!"

So here we are...

To my sweet Noah:

It's your birthday today and you and your sister are still sleeping in the hotel room. You woke up the day before at 6:30 am too excited about being in Whistler. The hotel had made-to-order breakfast that you cook in your room and we tried to cook quietly while Dad and Nallie kept sleeping. It reminded me off all the early years when you would only sleep in less than 2 hours intervals and it always always just me and you and the stillness of the night. By the way, thank you for deciding to sleep more than 2 hours after your 2nd birthday, I've always loved you but I definitely liked you a lot more after you started sleeping.

I love your adventurous spirit. Maybe it's because you always had your big sister to compete with but you have always been keen to adventure with us. Skiing with the ski leash when you were 2, hiking the Grind before you were 3, backpacking to Garibaldi Lake before you turned 6, and this weekend - I was pretty pleased that you picked the 'experience gift' of going to Whistler rather a birthday party. Quality time together on the trails was pretty special.

You are getting more brave and confident on your bike. It was so fun to explore the Lost Lake trails together. We made it to Lost Lake. You were eager to show me how to do the pump track.

After this summer, you have gained so much confidence in the water too. You loved the hotel pool. I loved that I could watch you do your cannonballs and jumps into the water from the hot tub. Win-Win.

You are such a social boy and you love your friends. You were lucky that the Sieberts drove up to Whistler for the day to spend time with you. 

The hotel sent a special card and chocolate so you woke up to a special treat. You were so happy to get your piggy birthday card and a special stuffy from Dad and me. 

We just had our family pizza party tonight. You are the only grandson on both sides of the family so you get a lot of love.

 When I was tucking your sister in tonight I asked her to pray for you and she said, "Dear God, thank you for Noah, when he's not annoying me or complaining too much, he's the best brother ever." Oh honest prayer. But really, it really is a blessing that most of the time, you and your sister are happier together than apart. I pray that as you grow up that your relationship with your sister continues to deepen and that you can be there for each other for many years to come. I pray that you continue to grow in understanding of  appreciating all the blessings you have and continue to grow in kindness and generosity to the people around you. 

Tonight when Dad was tucking you into bed, you were sobbing. When Dad asked you why you were crying, you said "Because I'm growing up too fast!" Awww...I know. I can't believe you're 8 already but know that even if you're getting to be too big to carry, you will always be my little Noey bear and I love you to the moon and back. 

 Happy birthday sweetheart. 

Love Mama

Backpacking Joffre Lakes

Did you know that ParksBC allows 1,100 people to hike Joffre Lakes every day and that every day those 1,100 passes are sold out?

I think Joffre Lakes is one of the most talked about, hyped-up and insta-worthy places in BC.

My sister and I were pretty stoked to be able to book a camping spot there and see it for myself. And yes, it does live up to the hype. Yes, it is spectacular. Yes, you should go.

So whether you are planning a day trip or camping there overnight, here's some things to know about Joffre Lakes.

1. Get there early. We left the city at 5:30 am and made it to the parking lot just after 8:10am on a Friday morning. There were still lots of spots but I am sure on a weekend it fills up fast. After the main parking lot and overflow parking lot are full, there aren't any other places to park because you are not allowed to park on the highway so just set your alarm clock and get there early. It will be worth it. 

2. Hike prepared even if it means carrying bags that weight a third of your body weight. There is no cell signal so come with everything you need because you won't be able to call for help. When we were hiking, there was a group of 3 young women hiking in front of us. One of the girls started lagging behind the other two women and then I noticed she stepped to the side of the trail and then fall over head first. I walked closer and realized she was having an epileptic seizure. I ran up to her friends who were now way ahead with no idea what had happened and called for them to come over. They had no idea what to do and had no first aid kit. Luckily, there were another group of more experienced hikers and they helped roll her over into recovery position. We all stayed until she regained consciousness. It was so fortunate that she only cut her chin when she had her seizure, if she had fallen to the other side of the trail, it could have been fatal. 

3. There are three lakes. Each one is turquoise green blue. There is also a stunning waterfall in between the second and third lake. Take your time at each lake and enjoy the beauty.

4. The campsite is 1km past the third lake. If you have the time, it's worth it to keep going even if you don't plan on spending the night. The campsite is on the other side of the lake and it takes another 30-45 minutes to get there. It was raining on and off when we got to the campsite - we were lucky to find a quiet partially sheltered spot and set up the tent before it started raining again.

5. Heavy backpacks and slippery trails don't mix. I had a few falls during the hike but gladly all minor. On route to the campsite, I slipped on a slippery rock and the weight of my backpack made me lose my balance and I was like a turtle flipped on its shell. My legs were flailing in the air while I lay on my back. Good thing it was just landing on clothes, my sleeping bag and slightly squished our dinner. Unlike the well-maintained trail, the area past the campsite is very rocky and there are no marked trails past the campsite. The glaciers and glacier waterfalls are observable from the campsite and we trekked for several hours to get closer to the waterfalls. 

6. Explore the waterfalls past the campsite. The rocks and the incline make it a bit tricky but getting up close to the waterfall is pretty amazing. You can feel the rush of the water and also see the third lake from a stellar viewpoint.

7. Enjoy dinner and breakfast with a view.  Undeniably the most scenic spot to enjoy a meal.

8. Take lots of picture. I took over 100 photos and it is clear why - the bright green waters, the glacier background, the mountains, it really does live up to the hype.